Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a flexible carrier for carrying a plurality of containers such as cans or bottles.
Description of Prior Art
Conventional container carriers are often used to unitize a plurality of similarly sized containers, such as cans, bottles, jars and boxes and/or similar containers that require unitization. Flexible plastic ring carriers are one such conventional container carrier.
Flexible plastic ring carriers may be used to unitize groups of four, six, eight, twelve or other suitable groups of containers into a convenient multipackage. Flexible ring carriers may include a handle that extend upwardly from the carrier to enable a consumer to carry the package.
Conventional manufacturing techniques permit contemporary containers to include dramatic shapes and contours to increase the shelf image, functionality and desirability of such containers. Such containers may include a wide diameter shoulder and a narrower waist area. As a result, containers having such unique shapes result in challenges to conventional container carrier design. Such challenges include applying container carriers to the containers and maintaining a tight, assembled package following application of the container carrier to the containers.
According to containers known in the prior art, for instance, a twenty ounce GATORADE plastic bottle, a shoulder diameter is approximately 2.8 inches and a waist diameter is approximately 2.4 inches resulting in a waist-to-shoulder increase of approximately 14%. The resulting shoulder circumference of this prior art container is approximately 8.8 inches. Such prior art containers are unitized with a flexible carrier having a container receiving aperture with a perimeter of 6.2-6.4 inches and a diameter of 2.2-2.4 inches.